ANY talk of Wembley has been firmly put to one side according to Vince Mellars as Crusaders continue their Challenge Cup bid at home to Catalans Dragons on Sunday.

Sunday’s match at the Racecourse (3.30pm) will be the first clash between two non-English sides in the famous competition with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

But 26-year-old centre Mellars admits his side are – just like the old cliche – taking it one game at a time.

“We haven’t been thinking about it too much,” he said. “The Cup is really special but we are just taking things one game at a time.

“It is not going to be easy against Catalans and we’ve got to get past them first before we start talking about the cup. We have got to make sure we go out there with the right attitude, like we did last week and put in a good performance against Catalans.

“They are quite a big side and the last game was a real physical challenge, and I’m sure they’ll bring their physical presence again on Sunday.

“Saying that, they’ve also got some good ball players like Casey Maguire and Thomas Bosc who add a bit of creativity to the side. It’s going to be a really good game and playing them at home in the Challenge Cup makes it extra special.”

Both teams head into Sunday’s game after contrasting fortunes at the Magic Weekend in Edinburgh last week.

Kevin Walter’s Catalans side suffered a 34-18 defeat against Castleford Tigers, while Brian Noble helped steer Crusaders to an impressive 19-0 win over his old side Bradford Bulls in the first match of the Magic Weekend.

It was an impressive performance – arguably Crusaders’ best of the season – with Noble impressed by his sides’ defensive efforts.

And Mellars said the boys were ecstatic to keep their first clean sheet of the season.

“It was a great feeling,” added Crusaders top-try scorer so far this season. “We managed to keep them score-less which took a huge effort from our guys and we all came off the field knowing that we had been in a tough game.

“We had to do a lot of defending on our line as well, so to come away from the Bradford game without conceding any points was very satisfying for us. It was a great result for us and one we’ve been working towards.”

New signing Jarrod Sammut is set to make his home debut at the Racecourse on Sunday following an impressive display against the Bulls which saw him score the 700th try in Crusaders history.

He is on his way to gaining cult status with the fans for his long hair and moustache combo, and Mellars is confident he will go down a storm in Wrexham.

“Captain Jack Sparrow has been settling in really well,” added Mellars. “I played against Jarrod a few times in the NRL and you could tell he was a class player back then.

“The boys have made him feel really welcome and I think he’s going to be a really good addition to the squad. He’s really enthusiastic, he brings a lot of energy to the side and I think he is going to be really popular with the supporters.”

Tickets are now available for the Challenge Cup fifth-round tie against Catalans Dragons at The Racecourse on Sunday (kick-off 3.30pm). Tickets are priced at £12 for adults and £6 for children and concessions.

Tickets are available by calling the ticket hotline on 01978 262129, visiting the club shop or online at www.crusadersrfl.com.